Читать книгу Classics fantasy – 6 - A. Belyaev - Страница 4

It was the shortest night in my life – it filled with the most extraordinary impressions so quickly flew by.

Having unexpectedly broken on a parachute from the platform of air observatory, I got used to the position of the pilot necessarily soon and with interest looked down.

As I fell, quickly grew warm. The breeze carried me aside, towards the Kremlin. Near it I saw a grove of cypresses among which there was a fine marble fountain lit with the ascended moon. These cypresses growing in the open air near the Kremlin walls, struck me. But I immediately forgot about them, attracted with a new show. The parachute transferred me through the Kremlin wall, from Borovitsky gate, and I fell… on the square covered with snow. Staring in disbelief, I took snow a hand. It was the real cold snow, but it did not thaw from the surrounding warm air, even from my hot hand. What for improbable things are created here?

I looked around. There was an extraordinary silence. The moon gilded domes of churches and lit blue sparks of diamonds on the roofs of ancient towers powdered with snow. In one of them, in a small window, with mica instead of glasses, the yellowish spark shone. But on streets it was visible nobody. At the Red porch stood two bearded stremyanny in the warm caftans edged by fur and in fur peaked caps. Leaning on berdysh, they dozed. Trying not to wake them again not to undergo arrest, I carefully bypassed them on the creaking snow and started wandering to the center of the Kremlin, trying to resolve a riddle: in what century I live? My reflections were unexpectedly interrupted with Ale which literally fell from the moon – so quickly it fell on the wings.

– You gave me much a lot of trouble – he told, with reproach looking at me. – You wanted to run?

I was confused and began to assure that everything left incidentally, because of my careless curiosity.

After Ale went down on a double aviette of Ea.

– Well – Ale hasty answered. – You sit down rather, we fly. At least, you visited our museum.

– So it was the museum!

I did not manage to recover as I was installed to the small round room of my air prison already again.

Ale, Ea and I took seat in wicker chairs at a round table. Ale frowned and as though expected something. Very melodious musical chord was heard – as if skillful easy fingers ran on harp strings. The chord sounded and stood.

– Ten hours. Midnight. It was punched by clock radios – told Ale, addressing me. Having laid a hand to a mouth, it asked someone a question in the laconic language. Then nodded – obviously, on the received answer.

“How he hears?” – I thought, looking on Ale.

I noticed in his ear, the small black subject, size about a pea is slightly lower than an acoustical opening. It also was probably the hearing aid.

Unusual silence and concern of my satellites brought me to a nervous state. I took out a box of cigarettes and lit. Ale was lop-sided on smoke and turned away. Эа sat closer to me. Suddenly she strongly began to cough, turned pale and leaned back on a chair back. Then quickly rose and, being unsteady, left the room.

– Stop to smoke – told Ale and, having approached a wall, turned some rychazhok. Air instantly was refreshed. I extinguished a cigarette and carefully laid it in a box.

The door opened. Li, the assistant to the astronomer Tong entered. It gave to Ale a portrait and, having told something, left. Ale nodded and began to look alternately at the brought portrait and at me.

“Compares – I thought. – From criminal investigation department, likely, sent. Was not enough only that I was similar to some criminal!”

But words of Ale calmed me.

– Yes nothing similar – he told, giving me a card. – It is just received on radio from America.

I was struck by artistry of performance. The best photographer of Moscow would envy such work. But the portrait forced me to smile. On it the person whose suit reminded knitted children’s “combination” from wool was represented. Similarity was supplemented by a cap, knitted from the same matter. The neck of the unknown was wrapped by a scarf to the chin. Quite big head without beard and moustaches and even eyebrows reminded the child’s head with a senile look. Only in slightly blinked eyes serious mind and rapacity of a small animal shone.

– What does all this mean? – I asked Ale, having ended survey of a portrait.

– So Americans look – told Ale and took a portrait. – And here’s the thing. We received data that to us the spy is sent. At this moment you appeared…

– And you solved?.

Ale shrugged shoulders:

– Quite clear precaution. There come disturbing times. Possibly, again it is necessary to create Council. This word is familiar to you?

– Certainly. And you do not have it?

– Many years in it there was no need.

– And now?

– And now it became necessary again. Apparently, you really the person from the remote past. Over time we will explain this riddle. For now I can give you some explanations.

– I admit, I do not understand much and very much I want to hear your explanations, but whether it is impossible to postpone them till tomorrow? I was tired to death, and… the dream overcomes me…

I yawned from ear to ear. Ale with curiosity looked at me.

– Really at you always so terribly opened a mouth when there was a wish to sleep? It was called, apparently, зе… зе…

– To yawn.

– Yes, to yawn. I read about it.

Ale took out from a pocket a graceful box from lilac metal, opened it and stretched to me.

– Swallow one of these pills, and your dream and fatigue will disappear.

Having noticed my fluctuation, he hasty told:

– Be not afraid, it is not drug which artificially stimulates nervous activity, like your awful cigarettes. These are the pills neutralizing fatigue products. They are harmless and make the same action, as a normal dream.

I swallowed a pill and suddenly felt fresh, as after good, sound sleep.

– There now you see. Why to lose unproductively a third of life on a dream if this time can be spent more productively! Now you are located to listen to me?

– I burn with impatience…

– So listen.

And, having taken seat more conveniently in a chair, Ale began the story.

Many years revolutionary shocks swept ago across all Europe and Asia. I will not list you stages of this awful, but at the same time and great era. The American capitalists sent the fleet to the aid of European “brothers” on a class, but the fleet was broken by the joint English, German, French and Russian naval forces. Then the scared Americans hurried to go back home, having provided events in Europe to own current, but not losing thirst to profit on death of economic power of the transatlantic neighbors. However these hopes were not equaled – revolution won. In America disorders of workers began. The American workers asked to help. And we, of course, did not deny to them this assistance…

Ale sadly hung the head and became silent. I with impatience expected continuation of the story.

– But this help did not bring benefit. The American equipment quite seized at this time the new most terrible tool of destruction – death beams. The joint fleet sent by us did not see the enemy: it was exterminated in the high sea by the invisible opponent. Nobody returned from this expedition, except one submarine which incidentally avoided actions of beams, maybe, because floated too deeply. Sailors of this boat told awful details. From the windows which supplied our submarines, having lit with searchlights a gloom of depths of the ocean, seamen saw the falling rain from fragments of the ships, the whole clouds of brainless fishes or with half the burned trunk, incidentally escaped pieces of human bodies. All inhabitants of the sea who got to a killing zone were incinerated. Water in the ocean boiled, and probably on a surface it evaporated. Even at that depth at which there was a submarine water heated up so that seamen nearly died. Action of devil beams, obviously, not only thermal. They destroy fabrics of a live organism by ultrashort electrofluctuations.

– It has communication with radio waves?

– Alas, all this the same radio, but applied for destruction.

– And in what all this came to an end?

– It was only the beginning. We tried to apply the air fleet. At that time and our equipment was already highly developed. We had aircrafts operating by the principle of flight of rockets. These vessels could rise above a layer of the air atmosphere, that is it is more than two thousand meters. We hoped to attack the enemy unawares “from the sky”. But the enemy was well prepared. Obviously, on all borders of America from the earth the same invisible, but killing beams were directed up. Hardly our aircrafts made of special metal entered this veil as were burned even not to ashes, and to steam…

And ten hours later terrible disaster rushed over all countries of Europe and Asia. Through the fortieth meridian of northern latitude – across Spain, Italy, the Balkans, Asia Minor, Turkestan, China and the island Nippon in Japan without uniform sound the killing beam which incinerated on the way in a strip hundred kilometers wide all buildings, people, animals, fields, cotton fields, gardens rushed.

– Yes here, look – told Ale.

He approached a distributive board and pressed several buttons with figures, then turned the lever. Light went out, and the screen recovered. I expected to see the movie, but what I saw surpassed all my expectations. It were not “documentary pictures” it there was life. Illusion was full.

Here street of some city…

– Spain – said Ale in low tones.

…All houses along the street obliquely were as though are cut off by some invisible knife which opened internal rooms. Where there passed the awful beam, there were only heaps of ruins, heaps of ashes and garbage. Here and there parts of human bodies rolled. Everything, got to a beam area of coverage, was incinerated. In places the fires burned down. I heard a flame crash, a roar of falling of walls. The escaped mad people wandered among these ruins, vainly trying to find for the family. They sobbed, shouted, sent someone damnations… Here the woman ran with a wild hair and mad eyes.

– Augusto, Augusto! – she shouted. And suddenly, having faced directly me, hysterical laughed loudly…

I heard her laughter, terrible cries of people. The show was tremendous. Involuntarily I turned away.

– Several hours later later accidents are removed – with emotion spoke Ale.

It turned levers, and on the screen the new picture appeared.

– Everything that remained from the Italian town of Marateo of the gulf Polikastra – Ale told.

Several palm trees and heaps of ruins, two swarty, curly children and the old woman in tatters. At one child legs on a knee were annealed. It lay unconscious. The boy is more senior looked at him with silent horror, and the old woman, having inclined over the child, shook the gray-haired ruffled head and howled lingeringly, hysterically as dogs howl… Nearby, with oskalenny teeth and the big glazed-over eyes, the asinine head – one head lay… Leaves of palm trees rustled, stones under the running waves as sad accompaniment to monotonous, tugging at heartstrings, I howl old women rustled… It was too…

– I cannot more – I said in low tones – there is enough!

Ale sighed, turned the lever. The screen went out, and in the room light lit up.

Suppressed just seen, we sat silently.

– I saw these pictures more than once – told at last Ale – but also I cannot still watch them without deep nervousness…

– Yes, it is awful – I answered.

– When our youth sees these pictures, it is lit by such hatred and such thirst of fight that it is difficult to keep her from daredevil acts and the aimless victims. We infrequently show these pictures.

– Tell me, this cinema? – I when nervousness settled a little asked.

– A combination of the sounding cinema and transfer of moving images and sounds on radio. We have a central film archive operating automatically. I put number on this board, the movie necessary to me automatically moves in a movie camera, it begins to work at the screen installed in film archive. Through radio the image and sounds are transmitted to any place.

– Amazingly! And what was farther?

– What could be after everything that you saw? Further persistence from our party could ruin all Europe and Asia. We were forced to stop fight, we will not create equal weapon yet. And our engineers worked over the invention of such weapon much. In this regard we are obliged by much to Li. This is the ingenious young man.

– Li? Assistant to the astronomer Tong? In a blue tunic? Unless it not the girl?

Ale smiled.

– No. This is the young man rather the young man. We grow old not soon. How many, you think, can be to me years?

– Thirty five, the biggest, forty – I told.

– Eighty six – smiling, Ale answered – Li – thirty two, and Ea – twenty five.

I was struck.

– And what was invented by Li?

– He invented means of an obstacle from devil beams. They are not terrible to us any more. It found a secret and productions of devil beams. We were made even by forces.

– And now it is possible to begin fight?

– Not absolutely. Their beams do not punch our invisible armor, and ours – them. We became mutually impregnable for each other, but also only. And still fight continues. Not so long ago by some miracle one more fugitive – the Black made the way to us from America. It worked at coastal obstacles, at east coast of North America. There was a damage of the device radiating protecting beams. Having used it, the Black rushed to the ocean, long floated until it was picked up by any fishing boat, and at last reached our coast. He told that, despite everything cruelty, on unprecedented suppression of workers, in America there is an underground revolutionary work. Revolutionaries got even into the coast guard. We managed to give up them the intercourses. We learned that America, being afraid of our help to their revolutionaries, plans to exterminate us. Having convinced that their beams are harmless to us, the American capitalists decided to send to us spies, having transferred them in the way unknown to us through our air obstacles, to learn our military forces and means, and then to transport here in the same way the agents with destructive beams to destroy “the revolution center” on the place.

– Europe and Asia – good “center”!

– Yes, to destroy a big half of the world. Before it they will not stop! But we are not idle too. Li is close to permission of a task – to find the tool punching all protecting means of Americans.

– But Li is an astronomer?

– The astronomer, the engineer, the artist, the chess player – everything that you want. And in all areas it – the first-class size. Days it gives to the engineering occupations, and works as nights with Tong.

– Also is not tired?

– Li – at least; our youth does not know fatigue. You do not want to sleep?

– I feel perfectly.

– Well, here you see. And so, we received data that one of spies is sent to us. In it it is a high time you appeared. Now you will understand our precaution concerning you?

– Unless I am similar to the American spy? – poluvozmushchenno-polunedoumevayushche I asked.

Ale shrugged shoulders:

– The ingenuity of the enemy is boundless. Bad that spy, at a view of whom each child will tell: “It is the spy”. You do not take offense. I trust you. But nevertheless some time we still will have to be engaged in your personality. Situation is too serious. Do not worry, you will use freedom.

– Remaining at the same time under supervision?

– Just at you will be to the chicherena, otherwise you will have nobody to throw with questions. I will sometimes accompany you if you have nothing against. By the way, today I will be able to visit with you “the country of memoirs”.

– Willingly – I answered, without deciding to bother it with new questions any more: what it for “the country of memoirs”?

– You have to learn our language, you see as far as I trust you. Study rather.

– With great pleasure, though to admit, I have no special linguistic abilities.

– It will not take a lot of time you. Here, you look – Ale turned on the screen again. On it images of objects began to appear, and their name at the same time sounded, and over the image the inscription appeared. On the screen throughout a minute flew, at least, fifty objects words.

– And well repeat them.

To my amazement, I repeated them without any work.

– Believe that you will not forget them any more. By the morning you will perfectly master language.

– I do not learn the memory! – I exclaimed.

we have a small secret which helps memory!. You not just see objects and their verbal image and hear a pronunciation. All these visual and acoustical phenomena are followed by the radiation of special radio waves.

– Again radio!

– Not without reason our city is called Radiopolis. You will hear about radio still more than once. And so, these radio waves strengthen brain perception, deeply imprint in a brain visual and acoustical impressions – the word, accelerate storing process. Only in such way our younger generation also has an opportunity to incorporate a huge number of modern knowledge and to be deeply educated in the most various areas.

– But abstract concepts?.

– You will see them figuratively and will acquire them as easily as the simplest things.

The door opened, Li and the room was entered also by Ea. I with new curiosity looked at Li. Engineer, astronomer! Directly incredibly. At us in Moscow girls from a ballet school so look.

This time the astronomer looked anxious. Li quietly whispered to Ale several words.

Having addressed me, Ale told:

– Important news: we, apparently, found our American a trace. We have to leave you. Be engaged in studying of language so far. In two-three hours I will come for you.

And these surprising people quickly left.